The present disclosure relates to an image processing method using a solid-state image-taking device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) device, an image processing device adopting the image processing method and an image display apparatus employing the image processing device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an image processing method for processing an image based on a parallax between the right and left eyes and displaying the processed image as a pseudo three-dimensional image on an ordinary display, an image processing device adopting the image processing method and an image display apparatus employing the image processing device.
In the case of a both-eye three-dimensional view generated by two cameras, special display means are required for reproducing the view. That is to say, display means obtained as a result of an optical effort to focus left image and right image respectively into the left eye and right eye of the observer is required. Due to the optical effort, however, a limitation on the visual-field angle is unavoidable. For this reason, it is difficult to allow a number of observers to look at a display shown by only one display apparatus.
In addition, there is also a technology of extracting a parallax and utilizing the parallax. However, this technology also requires a display in which a right image and a left image are created on the right and left eyes respectively.
For example, assuming an observer wears glasses, image data for the left eye of the observer and image data for the right eye of the same observer are alternately output to a display apparatus. At that time, the observer is capable of reproducing an image from the pieces of image data passing through the glasses capable of switching the shutter from the right glass to the left one and vice versa synchronously with the timing to switch the image data appearing on the display apparatus. By reproducing an image in this way, a three-dimensional image can be viewed.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-343290 discloses a method of reproducing a 3D (three-dimensional) image without using glasses and an apparatus adopting the method. In accordance with this method, a three-dimensional display apparatus based on a parallax is employed. A 3D (three-dimensional) image is generated by alternately arranging an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye for every dot in the form of rectangles and the images of the two points of view are displayed as a 3D (three-dimensional) image by adoption of a parallax variable method or a lenticular method.
In the case of the parallax method, the display apparatus has a configuration including a slit and a display screen. The slit is placed in front of the display screen. The observer observes a 3D (three-dimensional) image appearing on the display screen through the slit. At that time, the left eye of the observer looks at only an image for the left eye while the right eye of the observer is looking at only an image for the right eye. In this way, the observer is capable of observing a 3D (three-dimensional) image with a feeling of seeing a 3D (three-dimensional) object.
As described above, in order to display a 3D (three-dimensional) image, it is necessary to particularly provide the display apparatus with a special component such as the slit.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-40445 discloses an example of providing a portable information terminal with a 3D (three-dimensional) image displaying function. In the portable information terminal, a liquid-crystal module capable of displaying a 3D (three-dimensional) image includes a backlight, a switching liquid-crystal device, a phase difference board and a TFT liquid crystal. The switching liquid-crystal device is a component capable of switching its polarization angle. The phase difference board is a component patterned to form a slit shape. A 3D (three-dimensional) image is displayed by changing a phase relation with the patterned phase difference board. The phase relation with the patterned phase difference board is changed by switching the polarization angle of the switching liquid-crystal device from one value to another. In this way, a left image is generated by left pixels but prevented from being projected on the right eye by being cut off from the right eye. On the other hand, a right image is generated by right pixels but prevented from being projected on the left eye by being cut off from the left eye. In this state, only the image for the right eye appears on the right eye and only the image for the left eye appears on the left eye. Thus, an image appearing on the right eye of the observer is different from an image appearing on the left eye of the observer. As a result, the observer is capable of sensing a 3D (three-dimensional) image having a depth in the inward direction.
In this case, however, the display apparatus requires special units such as the phase difference board and the switching liquid-crystal device capable of switching its polarization angle.
For a both-eye 3D (three-dimensional) view generated by using two cameras, it is necessary to employ a special display apparatus to be used in a process to reproduce the 3D (three-dimensional) image. The structure of the display apparatus is complicated and the visual-field angle is also limited too. Thus, it is difficult to allow a number of observers to look at a display shown by only one display apparatus.